


Goodbye is Forever

by Vodid



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Comfort/Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Pre-Earth Transformers, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27484297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vodid/pseuds/Vodid
Summary: Prompt: Jazz has become bitter and, well, rather prickly, and Prowl is trying to find out why he is acting so out-of-character all of a sudden.
Relationships: Jazz/Prowl
Comments: 21
Kudos: 55





	Goodbye is Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt taken from [otp prompt generator](https://prompts.neocities.org/)

"Thank you, Ironhide," Prowl said, not looking up from the datapad he was reading as the weapons specialist placed his report on the SIC's desk. Ironhide stood back, but didn't leave the office. "Is there something you need?"

The black mech shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to get all up in your business, but did you and Jazz have an argument or something recently?"

"No, why do you ask?" The tactician set his datapad aside, focusing his attention on the conversation.

"He's being a little..." He hesitated, not wanting to be insubordinate. "With all due respect, he's being a little bit of a pain in the aft. Can't even look at him without getting your helm bitten off."

"'Your helm bitten off'?" Prowl repeated.

Ironhide nodded. "Snapping at everyone and every little thing. He's really irritated about something, I thought you would know what."

"I do not." Prowl was concerned to hear that his mate was not being his usual self. "I will talk to him though. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

Satisfied with that response, Ironhide took his leave.

The tactician had noticed the orn before that Jazz had been quieter than normal, but thought nothing of it. He assumed his mate was simply tired by the time they went to berth.

If Jazz was being a nuisance to the rest of the crew, he shouldn't wait until his shift was over to address the issue.

_::Jazz, please come to my office.::_

There was no verbal response, not even a ping of confirmation, but Prowl knew he received the comm.

It was no use to pester him for an answer, so the SIC picked up the report Ironhide had dropped off earlier. It was the report he requested for the state of the artillery and what had been taken for the upcoming mission - the hunt for the Allspark.

Five kliks passed before Jazz slinked into his office and crossed his arms. "What?"

Well, that was a great start and frankly told Prowl all he needed to know about his mate's current mood. "Take a seat, please." He gestured to the plush chair, but Jazz refused. "Alright. I have received a complaint about your recent behavior around the crew. Is everything alright?"

"Just fine." Jazz crossed his arms.

Prowl wanted a real answer, and dropped the professional attitude for a more personal approach. "You know you can talk to me, Jazz. Please. What is the matter?" His mate looked away and flattened his armor. "Are you upset with me?"

"No."

The tactician hated playing this guessing game. He liked straight answers. "Are you upset with someone else?"

"No."

"Jazz," Prowl pressed. He could tell his mate was not telling the truth. "Who upset you?"

The saboteur's armor puffed defensively as he lost his patience. "Nobody, Prowl! Primus!"

He didn't want to pull rank for the insubordination. This was something that concerned Jazz's social and emotional health, it would only make matters worse to punish him.

So Prowl played another game. He sat back in his seat, splaying his doorwings, glued his optics onto Jazz, and waited. It only served to further irritate his mate, but Prowl knew he would cave eventually. Jazz leaned against the wall, and defiantly avoided optic contact.

They sat in silence for a total of two kliks.

"The mission for the Allspark," Jazz huffed.

Prowl nodded. "Okay, the mission. What about it is bothering you?"

"I don't wanna..." His speech devolved into a murmur. The SIC couldn't make out the rest of the sentence.

"'Don't want to' what?"

Jazz tensed up, then released his frustrations. "I don't want to go! I don't want to leave ya behind! I don't want to constantly be worrying that something could happen! That something _bad_ could happen... I don't want us to be separated."

"Oh." Prowl was surprised, to say the least. "Oh, Jazz. Sweetspark, why didn't you come to me sooner?"

The tactician stood and made his way around his desk, approaching his mate and holding out his arm. Jazz readily walked into it and allowed Prowl to bring him into a soft embrace.

Jazz buried his face in Prowl's neck. "I thought I'd get over it. I don't know. You didn't seem upset about it so I didn't want to ruin anything."

The SIC sighed, "Jazz, you're not ruining anything by bringing up a valid concern. We're mates. We're supposed to communicate about these things, and work through it together."

"I know..."

"You're not usually one to bottle things up and take it out on others." Prowl stroked the saboteur's back, in a way that only a Praxian would to another Praxian, subconsciously avoiding the areas that would otherwise have doorwings. "We cannot change the plan, considering it is the most plausible and tactically sound. But please, Jazz, if you're going to miss me this much, don't push me away."

Prowl pulled back enough to cup his mate's helm in his servos and lightly pressed the center of his chevron to Jazz's forehelm.

"Okay?"

"Yeah... I just got a bad feeling, is all." Jazz shrugged, but hugged his mate a little tighter.

The tactician wrapped his arms around him again. "That is understandable. You're going off-world, to a planet far away. It's a dangerous mission, but I have every faith in you."

"Thanks." He sighed. "I'm sorry I was so bitter with ya earlier. I had become more upset when I realized I had been... unintentionally distancing myself from ya n' everyone else - to prevent more pain, but I guess I caused just that."

"I understand. You were afraid, Jazz. That's normal."

He nodded. "Yeah."

The two remained in a comforting embrace, Prowl holding Jazz close to his frame. Jazz was to leave for the mission in less than a decaorn, they would have to make every remaining orn count. The tactician pressed his lips against Jazz's helm.

"We'll be together again." He reassured.

* * *

It's what Prowl told himself for the next few vorns.

Even on their last ship en route to Earth, staring out into space and in the general direction of Earth's solar system, where Jazz was waiting for him.

The message from Optimus came only a few orns ago, right when Prowl and the remaining Autobots on Cybertron were losing Iacon, their last base, to the Decepticons. Shockwave led the attack and easily overpowered the few Autobots left, the rest having fled Cybertron throughout the vorns to scatter across the galaxy in hopes of surviving the war.

Prowl secretly wished he could leave with them, to finally be away from the constant fighting over demolished land and scarce energon, but he had a duty. He had to remain on Cybertron and lead the Autobots who stayed.

A third of their remaining numbers had been lost in the battle, many of whom offlined while they defended the ship they were to leave in. Prowl had rushed to load up their last energon reserves and soldiers into it as their base crumbled under the bombs and blasts from ion canons.

It had been a grim orn, and the message he received from Prime hadn't helped lift the mood.

The Allspark had been destroyed. Earth was their new home.

It was four lightyears away, but their ship luckily had a warp drive and could make the trip in significantly less time. A decaorn, at the least.

A decaorn felt like a long time to Prowl. Knowing Optimus and his team - Jazz - were safe on Earth made the tactician impatient to get to the organic planet.

He could wait. He had for the time since Prime left, though each orn spent on Cybertron and away from Jazz had felt like a decavorn.

Prowl spent those orns in loneliness, purposely burying himself in work and ensuring everything ran as smoothly as possible in a war that ravaged their planet. The loneliness always caught up to him however, leading to a breakdown followed by a crash that had to be treated by First Aid, their one of only two remaining medics.

It was a harsh cycle that Prowl only got through by telling himself over and over that he and Jazz would be together again.

And they would. Prowl firmly believed it and looked forward to seeing his lover again. To holding his lover and feeling his spark sing with his as they rejoice. To bring Jazz close to him and kiss him senseless. To tell him how much he missed him and how much he loved him.

He had when it was time for Jazz to leave for the mission, as much as he possibly could.

_They lay in their berth, online but not talking. Jazz was on his back, staring up at the ceiling while Prowl laid on his side, watching Jazz._

_The tactician took hold of his lover's servo and brought it to his chest. "This is the orn."_

_"Yeah," Jazz said with a frown, continuing to gaze at the boring old ceiling. Soon, he will be looking at a different ceiling when he recharged in a single berth. Prowl will be left to stare at their ceiling without him._

_The SIC didn't want to think about how many orns he will spend looking at it, wishing Jazz to be with him. He vented. "We'll be together again, Jazz."_

_"I know, mech. Ya've said that at least eight times an orn." Jazz humorlessly chuckled. It was too sad of an orn to crack real jokes._

_Prowl tried for a smile but it was pained. He was gradually saying that phrase more often, needing to hear it more with each passing orn._

_Jazz turned his attention to Prowl. "We'll be together again."_

_The saboteur had quickly caught onto what his lover was trying to do and started saying the phrase back a couple orns ago. It was a reassurance, a conviction, a promise._

_Prowl vented. "We should get up."_

_Neither wanted to. They remained on their berth for another klik before they sat up. It was a slow process, staying there for another klik. Every move was with great reluctance._

_They eventually made it into the rec. room where they enjoyed - as best they could - their last meal together. The other Autobots in the room with them kept their voices low or were completely quiet, respecting the sorrowful air around their lieutenants. Even Sideswipe, ever so boisterous Sideswipe, was silent, solemnly staring into his energon cube._

_Prowl and Jazz were not going to be the same once they were separated, and it inadvertently affected the entire crew._

_The SIC didn't think it would also be him to affect the soldiers, instead of only the lack of Jazz's morale boosting. It wasn't until Ironhide, dropping off another report, had noted Prowl's quite sad energy and that it made him feel the same._

_It was quite hard to stay positive about the mission._

_Their last few joors with each other went by too fast and before they knew it, they were in the port where Optimus' ship was going through final preparations for its launch into deep space._

_The lieutenants were off to the side, in a tight embrace, murmuring to one another. Like the orn in his office, Prowl cupped Jazz's faceplates and pressed their forehelms together. He stared into Jazz's visor._

_"This is for the cause. It's the right thing to do," he softly stated._

_"So why does it feel so horribly wrong?"_

_The SIC's doorwings sagged. "I do not know."_

_The time soon came for Optimus' team to report to the ship and leave. Prowl walked his mate servo-in-servo halfway there before starting to let go, their servos lingering together. Jazz looked back at him._

_Their tanks were twisting, sparks constricting, fields shrinking. It was a hard moment._

_"I love you," Prowl whispered, "...and I don't want to say goodbye."_

_Jazz's servo fell to his side. "I love ya, too. And Prowler," he stopped momentarily, "Goodbye is not forever."_

_Prowl watched him board and stared after the ship until he couldn't discern its thrusters from the stars. Even long after he couldn't see it anymore, he still stood there._

He never quite stopped staring out into space, hoping that where he had been looking was where Jazz had gone.

Yes, they'll be together again.

**Author's Note:**

> Except goodbye was forever.


End file.
